How To Care for an Elderly Mother-in-Law and Remain Sane

Every wife will tell you that dealing with her mother-in-law can be quite a pain. Having someone monitor your every step telling what should be and how it should be can actually drive you to insanity. Now, double the pain and the potential for insanity if your mother-in-law is elderly since you will be the one helping your husband care for her. Worst of all, the annoying habits and attitude of a mother-in-law tend to magnify as she gets old. If you really have to pitch in and care for her, then you need to know how to do it without losing your sanity. Here are some tips to get you through this unsurpassable obstacle in life.

Get help. It might be too early to say this but it actually is a realistic way to keep yourself sane while ensuring that the elderly wicked witch of the east is cared for. Yes, hiring a nurse or nanny to help you provide optimum care for your mother-in-law is probably the best and easiest way. Yes, say hello to peace of mind and goodbye to craziness. Now, you must know that the drawback with this tip is that it is quite costly especially if you hire help to live with your mother-in-law. Weigh the pros and cons and you will surely see that there are more advantages with this method.

Enter her in an elder care home. This option may seem mean but it is a way for you to get the optimum care for your mother-in-law without the hassle. Of course, you will need your husband’s go ahead before even pushing the pedal to the metal. Discuss the option with your husband. If your mother-in-law is that bad, chances are your husband will be experiencing some sort of insanity by now. If he gives you the green light, then start shopping for homes for the elderly. Now, you can probably go with some of the state-operated facilities but the best way to deal with this is to go with a home that is of excellent quality in terms of health care for the aged. Yes, you may have to pay a certain price for the service but it could brighten up your mother-in-law’s outlook living with people that have a common ground with her in a facility that is world-class.

Be patient and release the stress as often as you can. If you neither have the resources to hire help or your husband disagreed with your idea of putting his mother in an elder care home, then you are now left with the last option, which is to swallow your pride and be as patient as you can be. Care for her and don’t let her antics get to you. Sooner or later, it will all catch up to you so make sure to let off steam once in a while. If you need help in certain situations, call on your husband and other family members to pitch in. In the end, always remember that you will reap the benefits later on if you are able to care for your husband’s mother and still remain perfectly sane.

If all else fails, consider throwing the care onto your husband’s other siblings. To do this, throw a tantrum with your husband and tell him that you really can’t take all the nagging anymore. Either she goes or you go. It may seem silly and childish but your husband may see the light and force his other siblings to take your mother-in-law in.